Sec. 1. 3 MRSA §5 is enacted to read:

§5.__Committee chair; term limitation

A person may not serve as chair of a joint standing committee of the Legislature for more than 3 consecutive legislative bienniums.

Sec. 2. 21-A MRSA §553, sub-§§1 and 2, as enacted by IB 1993, c. 1, §1 and affected by §2, are repealed.

Sec. 3. Statutory referendum procedure; submission at statewide election; form of question; effective date. This Act takes effect when approved only for the purpose of permitting its submission to the legal voters of the State at a statewide election held on the Tuesday following the first Monday of November following passage of this Act. The municipal officers of this State shall notify the inhabitants of their respective cities, towns and plantations to meet, in the manner prescribed by law for holding a statewide election, to vote on the acceptance or rejection of this Act by voting on the following question:

"Do you favor repealing term limits for Maine Legislators and limiting committee chair terms for joint standing committees of the Legislature to 3 bienniums in the same way that terms are limited for legislative leadership?"

The legal voters of each city, town and plantation shall vote by ballot on this question and designate their choice by a cross or check mark placed within a corresponding square below the word "Yes" or "No." The ballots must be received, sorted, counted and declared in open ward, town and plantation meetings and returns made to the Secretary of State in the same manner as votes for members of the Legislature. The Governor shall review the returns and, if it appears that a majority of the legal votes are cast in favor of the Act, the Governor shall proclaim that fact without delay, and the Act takes effect 30 days after the date of the proclamation.

The Secretary of State shall prepare and furnish to each city, town and plantation all ballots, returns and copies of this Act necessary to carry out the purposes of this referendum.